June 8, 2023
More Maine Coasting
Portland to Newcastle
I stayed at the Black Elephant hostel in a Portland last night. I slept in a dorm room with 6 or 7 other people. I wore an N95 mask and ear plugs and slept like a log.
I delayed leaving this morning until temperatures were in the mid 50s. I had coffee, granola bars, and nuts. Not adequate at all.
After 5 miles and crossing a bridge out of Portland, I reached the Other Side Diner. The eggs, bacon, English muffin, and coffee hit the spot. I talked to the owners about their Pride flag outside, telling them I think of it as the opposite of the confederate flags I saw out west. They said the flag, which they just started displaying this year, is bringing in new business. Score 1 for tolerance.
The route went Portland to Falmouth to Yarmouth to South Freeport to Brunswick to Bath to Woolwich to Wiscasset to Newcastle where I am staying at yet another Warmshowers place.
The first few miles were more of the same. I noticed that whenever I left the coast, climbing happened.
When I started out I felt very weak but the diner food recharged my engine. In Falmouth I stopped and bought bananas. At the country store there I talked with a guy in an apparently restored Ford pickup, painted an attractive dark green. He told me that he and his wife take bike vacations in Europe. He gave me his business card and said to call if I have any problems . Nice guy.
The bananas were just what my body needed to keep on keeping on. The forecasted rains never came but I stayed in my rain gear to avoid getting chilled. Temperatures unexpectedly breached 60 degrees today. The air quality up here is fine.
In Brunswick I stumbled upon Bowdoin College. I rode through campus and stopped to admire the statue of Joshua Chamberlain, a Bowdoin professor, who led the Maine troops repelling a Confederate surge at Little Round Top at Gettysburg.
I stopped in Bath for lunch at a ice cream shop with a deli. After that the ride became substantially hillier. I climbed over Ozone Mountain, a 190-foot massif. Okay, it was several short, steep climbs.
Along the road today I came upon a car stopped in my lane with its emergency lights flashing. As I passed I saw it’s driver standing beside the road holding a turtle in her hand. Life saver.
I saw four turkeys and a dozen chipmunks during my travels. No mooses yet.
My Warmshowers hosts met me on arrival. After washing up and doing my laundry, we ate beans and rice and salad. And had a cold beer. Tummy full.
I started anew trying to make arrangements for Bar Harbor. It’s going to be challenging. Doubly so because I messed up my itinerary. Tomorrow’s ride was intended to be 60 miles. It’s more like 90. I re-re-scheduled my Warmshowers host in Belfast until Saturday. So I’d do 60 tomorrow and stay in Camden. Then do a short 30-miles to Belfast. This would set me up to reach Bar Harbor on Sunday which might work out for the best.
On the return I’ll be shortcutting that 90 miles from Newcastle to Belfast so I’ll be in good shape.
The Mule hit 71,000 miles today.
Miles today: 64
Today's ride: 64 miles (103 km)
Total: 955 miles (1,537 km)
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